Prod for Raccoon?

[profsrgary]

JMO but if your gun has any less power than an Mrod I think it is inadequate to kill a raccoon humanely. I shoot lots of raccoons with my .22 mrod but I use it only because I can't use a powder burner at 2am with houses nearby. All shots are the same distance and place, 15 feet. I set a bait on a stand and lay a motion sensor on top of the bait. Even with a perfectly placed shot you need to have breakables secured because the coon doesn't just drop and lay there. Another thing to think about and why I still use headshots on skunks is, You need to kill em where ya shoot em because if you shoot one and he crawls off and goes under your deck or your neighbors shed it can smell pretty bad. A friend told me that.lol

 

[Yo]

The smell of rotting dead flesh usually lasts about 5 days to a week and it totally decomposes to the skeleton bones in about 15-30 days depending on their size and how many fly maggots actively eat them. It smells like dried squid or shrimp just Like in the Asian food section in the supermarket. After the first week the pungent odor usually disappears even though it is still decomposing and an interesting fact is that heat is generated from the dead until no flesh is left and is indeed hottest in the beginning stages of decomposition and stays warm until no meat is left. 

 

[RWSx3]

I've heard of "tube traps" for skunks made from pvc pipe just large enough for the critter to enter. Supposed to NOT allow them to raise their tail once inside... make logical sense but I've never witnessed the outcome.

Recently a neighbor had skunks under their shed, a nuisance trapper was called in, he placed a few live-traps close to the shed, next morning all traps occupied, momma and youngsters. I watched him gather the traps later in the day, he approached each trap with an old bedsheet held wide-spread so the skunk could not see HIM behind the sheet, he then draped the sheet over the trap and slowly and carefully wrapped the trap with the sheet, then carried the trap to his truck, no spray emitted. 

 

[triggertreat]

I have been hitting them in the head in .25 cal with a JSB MKII at 63 FPE at 25 yards...Instant dirt naps. A very good dirt nap setup is best.

 

[gamepete]

Yes or no, will a round from a prod penetrate a raccoon skull?

 

[Bigragu]

A member on here that hunts raccoon seasonally and religiously, once told me if a PRod(or any 22 caliber gun in that same category of power)can penetrate a 3/4” piece of Doug fir at the yards your planning on shooting the raccoons at, then it is suitable to use as a raccoon dispatch platform.

3/4” into and out of wood may seem like overkill but if you consider poor shot placement due to animal movement or shooter error, and the shooter misses that sweet spot between the eyes at around a bit higher than eye brow level, then the power needed to penetrate 3/4” of wood is the “fluff” that’ll ensure you the shooter will still penetrate the skull. 

His advice made sense to me. 

 

[LostinTejas]

I had to look up a PRod. The initial spelling didn't help. Being new here and all.

I dispatch raccoons at 15-20 yard using a 22 cal Power piston. ~23 fpe, with probably less than stellar pellets, Crossman Premier, and have never had one take more than a step or two.That said, the PRod is marketed at 700 FPS with not much for pellet weight, but the trend these days is light alloy pellets for the best speed.

SWAG would be to get another tool. The point blank range could help, but you may try the advice from Bigragu before hand. I have never been much for comparing wood to animal, but that wood at that density, might.



WOW ! This is an old thread. Any updates?

 

[JimD]

My Prod stock was about 13fpe. A little more hammer spring tension got it to 14fpe. Then I drilled out the transfer port to .1015 (stock is .080) and tried different hammer spring settings. I got max power of about 19fpe with seven turns of the hammer spring but could only get about 10 shots. I got 20+ shots at 5 turns and the velocity variation is also lower. Power is 17-18 fpe. So my experience is a lightly modified Prod is good for no more than 20fpe.

If you use a good domed pellet that your gun likes (mine likes copper plated H&N Field Target Trophy) to maximize placement and penetration it could work. But if you do not hit the brain I don't think you would kill it, let alone kill it quickly. I went to my current tune because I did not like squirrels running off with hits to the vitals when I missed the brain. So I don't think I'd try a Raccoon unless it was a very close shot. At 15 yards, I can hit the brain pretty reliably on a squirrel so maybe a coon at 15 yards or less. At 25 yards where I typically shoot squirrels I wouldn't try a coon.

But really I would just get my Avenger, 25 caliber. Even at it's current lower regulator setting is it twice the fpe of the Prod and makes a bigger hole. Shoots through 3/4 plywood. I would think it would definitely do the deed with a hit to the vitals. But I want to do more penetration testing and have not decided what pellets (or slugs) I want to use. I plan to do that testing first. I did the same with my Prod before I started taking squirrels with it. I want to have confidence in my gun and projectile. I will also try higher regulator settings - probably want to set it up at about 50 fpe. But I am undecided between 25 grain pellets for flatter trajectory and 34 for more penetration. And I just ordered a couple more slugs to test. I'm testing at 33 yards with it but need to try it at 50 or more to make final selection.

Anyway, I would not even attempt it at a range you cannot reliably shoot 1 inch groups from the position you would be in for the shot. Even then I think it's iffy. But another responder says he's done it and that trumps my opinion.

 

[DanWho]

If nothing else you can call the local game officer, at least here in my area in Iowa they will take them and release them well away from towns in a park.